Workflow System and Object Generating Apparatus

1. A computer-implemented workflow system for processing an object, comprising: a workflow management unit which manages a workflow comprising a sequence of a plurality of working statuses, wherein the object is processed by a user at each of the working statuses in the sequence included in the workflow, the working statuses including a first working status followed by a second working status according to the sequence, the first working status associated with a first user responsible for processing the object at the first working status, and the second working status associated with a second user responsible for processing the object at the second working status, the second user different than the first user, and the first working status different than the second working status; a modifying unit which modifies information concerning an access right associated with at least a user and applied to the object when the working status for the object is changed pursuant to an advancing of the object to a next working status of the sequence of working statuses in the workflow managed by the workflow management unit, wherein the information is contained in the object, and wherein the modifying unit modifies the information to provide, at the first working status, the first user with a first access right applied to the object and the second user with a second access right applied to the object different than the first access right, and to provide, at the second working status, the first user with the second access right and the second user with the first access right; and a control unit which controls operations on the object by the first user and the second user based on the first and second access rights, respectively, when the object is being processed at the first working status, and based on the second access right and the first access right, respectively, when the object is being processed at the second working status, wherein the object contains a table with which information for identifying definition information corresponding to each working status is registered, and wherein said units are implemented, at least in part, by a computer.

2. The workflow system according to claim 1 , wherein the modifying unit comprises: a storage unit which stores definition information defining an access right in each working status for the object; a determining unit which determines a current working status; and an obtaining unit which obtains the access right from the definition information corresponding to the determined current working status from the storage unit, wherein the control unit controls operations on the object based on the obtained access right.

3. The workflow system according to claim 2 , wherein the determining unit determines the current working status by reading out information for determining the current working status contained in the object.

4. The workflow system according to claim 3 , comprising: a detecting unit which detects termination of the current working status; and an overwriting unit which, upon detection of the termination, overwrites the information for determining the current working status contained in the object with information indicating the next working status.

5. The workflow system according to claim 1 , wherein the modifying unit comprises: a determining unit which determines a current working status; and a readout unit which reads out access right definition information corresponding to the determined current working status from the object, wherein the control unit controls operations on the object based on an access right according to the read-out access right definition information.

6. The workflow system according to claim 5 , further comprising an authentication unit which performs authentication processing by reading out authentication information about an operator who is to process the object in a current working status from the object, wherein the control unit controls operations on the object based on an access right of an operator who has succeeded in the authentication processing.

7. The workflow system according to claim 5 , wherein the readout unit reads out the access right definition information from the object when connection cannot be made to a server which manages the object.

8. A computer-implemented workflow processing method for processing an object, comprising the steps of: managing a workflow comprising a sequence of a plurality of working statuses, wherein the object is processed by a user at each of the working statuses in the sequence included in the workflow, the working statuses including a first working status followed by a second working status according to the sequence, the first working status associated with a first user responsible for processing the object at the first working status, and the second working status associated with a second user responsible for processing the object at the second working status, the second user different than the first user, and the first working status different than the second working status; modifying information concerning an access right associated with at least a user and applied to the object when the working status for the object is changed pursuant to an advancing of the object to a next working status of the sequence of working statuses in the workflow managed in the managing step, wherein the information is contained in the object, and wherein the modifying step modifies the information to provide, at the first working status, the first user with a first access right applied to the object and the second user with a second access right applied to the object different than the first access right, and to provide, at the second working status, the first user with the second access right and the second user with the first access right; and controlling operations on the object by the first user and the second user based on the first and second access rights, respectively, when the object is being processed at the first working status, and based on the second access right and the first access right, respectively, when the object is being processed at the second working status, wherein the object contains a table with which information for identifying the definition information corresponding to each working status is registered, and wherein said steps are implemented, at least in part, by a computer.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform a workflow processing method for processing an object, the program comprising: instructions for managing a workflow comprising a sequence of a plurality of working statuses, wherein the object is processed by a user at each of the working statuses in the sequence included in the workflow, the working statuses including a first working status followed by a second working status according to the sequence, the first working status associated with a first user responsible for processing the object at the first working status, and the second working status associated with a second user responsible for processing the object at the second working status, the second user different than the first user, and the first working status different than the second working status; instructions for modifying information concerning an access right associated with at least a user and applied to the object when the working status for the object is changed pursuant to an advancing of the object to a next working status of the sequence of working statuses in the workflow managed by the instructions for managing, wherein the information is contained in the object, and wherein the modifying instructions are further for modifying the information to provide, at the first working status, the first user with a first access right applied to the object and the second user with a second access right applied to the object different than the first access right, and to provide, at the second working status, the first user with the second access right and the second user with the first access right; and instructions for controlling operations on the object by the first user and the second user based on the first and second access rights, respectively, when the object is being processed at the first working status, and based on the second access right and the first access right, respectively, when the object is being processed at the second working status, wherein the object contains a table with which information for identifying the definition information corresponding to each working status is registered.